Update: 3:55 p.m.: An attorney for Lena Levario, Tom Mills, said that Brotherton and Levario both made subjective opinions about the law. Mills said it is improper for Watkins suggest Levario intentionally misapplied it.

“Judge Levario knew the law. Judge Brotherton, in a brand new hearing, simply came to a different decision,” Mills said. “There is no basis for him to say she didn’t apply the law properly.”

Update 12:49 p.m.: Defense attorney Tom Nowak, who is running for Dallas County DA as a Republican said that Watkins still has a lot to explain to the public.

"Despite the acquittal, this has been an embarrassment to Dallas County," Nowak said. "Today's decision changes nothing about the motives in indicting Al Hill III and, as far as the public is concerned, a Democratic judge has already determined Craig Watkins violated his oath and the trust of Dallas County citizens."

Update at 11:55 a.m.: Spokesman for Al Hill III, Matthew Berger said in a statement that the ruling acquitting Watkins of contempt has no impact on the dismissal of the mortage charges against Hill.

“Judge Lena Levario reviewed hundreds of pages of evidence and heard testimony from several witnesses before deciding in March to dismiss the case against Mr. Hill due to constitutional violations by the District Attorney's Office. Today’s hearing has no effect on that ruling."

Update at 11:10 a.m.: State District Judge Bob Brotherton acquitted Watkins, saying that the hearing itself was improper and should not have taken place. Therefore, he said, Watkins should not have been held in contempt.

Watkins' attorneys argued that attorneys for Hill needed evidence to seek the hearing but instead were trying to elicit the evidence at the hearing.

Watkins said his court victory is about ensuring people are prosecuted regardless of their wealth or background.

"It's not vindication," Watkins said. "Here at the DA's office, we always make sure no matter how that much money you have or where you come from if you commit a crime, you're going to have to face justice in Dallas County as long as I'm the district attorney. And so, as we move forward, we're going to continue to do that."

About Levario's ruling holding him in contempt, Watkins said: "Unfortunately, we just had a judge that didn't know the law or didn't follow it."

Why State District Judge Lena Levario held in contempt and held the hearing, if another judge said the hearing should not have taken place, Watkin said "I can't speculate to that. There are issues that will have to be resolved in the future as it relates to a lot of things with the appeal."

Special prosecutors can appeal the verdict. Special prosecutor Bob Hinton said he will discuss a possible appeal with the other special prosecutor, Ron Poole. But Hinton said he doesn't foresee appealing the ruling.

"The judge followed the law as he said it," Hinton said. "We don't have any quarrel with that."

Hinton said that Levario was dealing with an issue that had not come up before in the courts.

"This is the first time this issue has been visited," he said. "I don't think Judge Levario did anything wrong."

Updated at 9:57 a.m.: State District Judge Bob Brotherton on Friday acquitted Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins of contempt of court.

State District Judge Lena Levario cited Watkins for contempt on March 7 when he refused to answer questions in a hearing over prosecutorial misconduct charges leveled against him by Hunt oil heir Al Hill III.

Original post at 7:01 a.m.: A hearing this morning before State District Judge Bob Brotherton will determine whether a contempt charge against Dallas County DA Craig Watkins will stand.

Watkins was held in contempt March 7 by State District Judge Lena Levario after Watkins refused to testify at a hearing where he was accused of prosecutorial misconduct by oil family heir Al Hill III.

The hearing before Levario was supposed to explore allegations by Hill that Watkins sought mortgage fraud indictments to aid Watkins’ political benefactor Lisa Blue. Watkins told Levario in court that he refused to testify because his work as a prosecutor was privileged although his subordinates testified at the hearing.

Levario refused to recognize Watkins’ claim of privilege and held him in contempt. She also dismissed mortgage fraud charges against Hill.

Hill was accused of taking out the $500,000 loan using the Highland Park home where he lived as collateral. But public records show he owned only 20 percent of the home, with the remainder owned by a trust that benefited his father, Al Hill Jr. The percentage of ownership in the home is a matter of dispute.

At the time of the indictments, Blue and two other attorneys were fighting with Hill over attorneys fees from their representation of Hill in a court battle over the family fortune. Hill said that the indictments, which came weeks before the trial over the fee dispute, prevented him from taking the stand.

Hill lost and was ordered to pay an amount later reduced to $22 million. That decision is now being revisited in civil court as attorneys or Hill and his former lawyers battle over whether Levario’s ruling should be taken into account in the case.

Blue took The Fifth at the hearing before Levario because her attorney, Terence Hart, said in court that the FBI was looking into dealings between Watkins and Blue. Hart has since said that federal authorities have concluded their investigation into Blue and found that she did not commit a crime.

The status of any investigation into Watkins is unclear. The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office have repeatedly declined to confirm or deny such an investigation into Watkins and Blue exists.